Guessing Games
by Alex Foster
Summary: After her confrontation with Buffy in Japan, Satsu considers making a change. Batsu and mild femslash warning.


Title: Guessing Games

Author: Alex Foster

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Category: General

Setting: Missing scene from Buffy Season Eight Issue #14: Wolves at the Gate

Rating: PG

Summary: After her confrontation with Buffy in Japan, Satsu considers making a change. Batsu warning.

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Mutant Enemy, Dark Horse, and Joss Whedon. No money is being made and no infringement is intended.

Author's Notes: This is my entry in the Taming the Muse writing challenge. The prompt was the word Mime. Thank you for reading.

* * *

_There's a trick to the "graceful exit." It begins with the vision to recognize when a job, a life stage, or a relationship is over — and let it go. It means leaving what's over without denying its validity or its past importance to our lives. It involves a sense of future, a belief that every exit line is an entry, that we are moving up, rather than out._

Ellen Goodman

* * *

Women, trained and empowered to fight demons, gave Satsu space as she stormed down the halls of the Japanese fortress. The young slayer passed intricate silk wall hangings without noticing their designs and did her best to ignore the curious glances shot her way. Over the past two days, Satsu had become quite adept at brushing off speculative stares.

She moved through the corridors of the traditional house without really paying attention to her destination. While still replaying in her head the confrontation with Buffy, Satsu suddenly found herself standing in front of the guest quarters she'd been assigned.

Her haphazardly packed luggage was still stacked next to the bed. The room's second bed was neatly made and uncluttered by any belongings. Even with sleeping and living arrangements tight as Aiko's squad merged with Buffy's team, Satsu still had quarters all by herself. Either no one wanted to bunk with her—a sure possibility, she knew—or Buffy herself had ordered the private accommodations.

A few weeks ago, she would have hoped for the latter and spun dirty fantasies in her head about Buffy coming to her room seeking quiet and relief from the pressures of the army. Now the former was the better of the two possible reasons. After sleeping with Buffy, her life had become complex and confusing.

Satsu walked into the room and stripped off her jacket. Balling it between her hands, she drew back and threw it away with force. The coat hit a shelf and sent knickknacks tumbling to the floor. Satsu paused, glanced at the mess, and decided to leave it there.

She flipped open one of her suitcases and began rummaging inside.

"Have to say," a voice said behind her, "I always knew you would rebel one day, but I never guessed it'd be that bad."

Satsu turned and saw Renee leaning against the entranceway.

"Excuse me?"

Renee pointed to the figurines scattered on the floor. "About three hundred years ago or so, you'd have to commit ritual harikari for that offense."

Satsu removed a silk camisole from the bag, carefully set it aside, and then pulled out body armor from the bottom of the suitcase. "I'll risk it." She looked down at the plated vest. "Welcome back, by the way."

"Thanks." Renee pushed off the wall and walked into the room. "Didn't really have a chance to talk to you before Xander and I left for Romania. About what happened the night I left."

"I've already had this conversation," Satsu said. "With Miss Rosenberg."

"Wow!" Renee laughed. "What was _that_ like?"

Satsu couldn't look directly at the fellow slayer. Heat tried to work its way up her neck. "That is actually what she wanted to know."

"Are you kidding me?!" Renee sat on the unoccupied bed, tucking one leg under the other. "Oh, that is great. Guess that answers some questions the girls had about her and Buffy."

Satsu unfolded the vest and checked its inside pockets for the protective ceramic discs. "I'm sorry, but I'm really not interested any more conversations. I don't want to talk about what Buffy is like in bed and I don't want to talk about what led up to the other night. I just want to finish this mission."

"Okay," Renee said slowly. "Can I ask what put you in such a bad mood?"

"What put you in such a good one?"

"Xander and I just had the end of our first date."

"The end?" Satsu spared a glance. "Exactly when did it begin? We've only been in Tokyo a few hours."

Renee hesitated. "Well the beginning hasn't really started yet, but the ending is out of the way." She smiled. "And it was pretty good."

Satsu opened the vest and slipped it on. She settled the weight over her narrow shoulders and began tightening the fitting straps. "Well, I'm happy for you two…Actually, no I'm not. Take my advice and stop it right now. Don't let it go any further. It won't end well—it _can't_ end well.

"They are on one side and we are on the other. That is the way it should stay."

Stunned, Renee sat up straight. "I've never heard you talk like that before. Did something happen with Buffy?"

Satsu considered the suitcase pouch holding fuzzy adornments and buttons she normally decorated her armor with. Deciding she wasn't in the mood for any of the cute statements they made, she closed the case, zipped it, and reached for another bag. Inside that one was an assortment of knives and, wrapped in a soft scabbard, a replacement katana to the one she lost in the fight with Twilight. She set the sword on the bed and removed two knives from the bag. With more force than necessary she drove them into sheathes sewn onto the front of her vest.

"Buffy was going to leave me behind," she heard herself say. "I am one of her best fighters and she was going to regulate me to gravedigger. Either to protect me, teach me a lesson, or make an example of me to the other girls."

"I—" Renee reached to touch Satsu's arm but then thought better of it—"I'm sorry."

Satsu nodded absently and cleared the katana several inches before letting it fall back into the scabbard with a resounding click. "Either way it doesn't matter any more," she said. "After this mission, when Toru is dust and we have the Scythe back, I'm done. I'm leaving the squad."

Now Renee did come to her feet and put her hand on Satsu's shoulder. Underneath the protective armor, the Asian slayer couldn't feel the touch. "No. Listen if this is because of us walking in on you two the other night…"

"It is not." Satsu took a respectful step back. "The gossip was there before we were caught. I can handle the looks and the jokes—they are not new—but I will not let her marginalize me. Not to be protected and not even to prove her authority with the other slayers."

"Where will you go?"

"I may stay here with this squad," Satsu said. "Without Aiko they will need someone with combat experience. Or help Mister Giles and Miss Lehane. There are plenty of places that need me."

"Alpha team needs you, too," Renee pointed out. "Why don't you give it a little time? I'll have Xander—"

"No." Satsu draped the sword's baldric over her shoulder. "Just do yourself a favor and take my advice. You'll be happier in the long run—both you and Mister Harris."

"It doesn't have to be us and them on opposite sides," Renee said. "I may not know Buffy as well as you do, but I've been dancing around with Xander for months so I have a little experience in this department. They don't always say it the way they should, but Buffy and Xander do mean well for us. We just have to give them the benefit of doubt and look for the best in their actions."

Satsu felt her skin warm again as she allowed Renee to see her true feelings. "There are a lot of games I'd be open to playing with Buffy, but miming and charades are not among them."

"Just don't do anything rash. It's a rough time for everyone right now."

Satsu nodded and turned to leave the room.

"Wait." Satsu looked back and saw Renee frowning. "Aiko was killed by a vampire and Buffy just wanted you to dig the grave?"

"Yeah. Her squad is pretty upset and—"

"A _vampire_, Satsu. He ripped her throat out. This is slayer school 101 territory. Don't you remember the drawings and slides Mister Giles showed us?"

It took her a beat to make the connection. Satsu breathed a curse in Japanese with the realization. "I didn't know." She turned and ran from the room.

The curious glances returned as Satsu hurried back down the corridors of the fortress. She blindly ran down two flights of stairs and left the living quarters behind. Common areas overflowed with slayers from Aiko's squad and the massive group of girls Buffy brought with her. All were in various states of battle dress as they milled about. Weapons were stacked in organized groups against the walls.

Seeing no sign of Buffy, Satsu pushed her way through the crowd and made her way to the open entranceway. Outside the moon was low in the sky, filling the walled courtyard with deep shadows. Evening birds were chirping with song and happiness they alone seemed to feel. Cold air prickled her skin and she half expected to see her breath cloud. It was almost time for the raid on Toru's building.

Across the court, leaving the Buddhist Temple, was Buffy. She easily carried a large battle-ax over one shoulder. Satsu stopped cold when she saw the slayer general. It was suddenly hard to grasp onto the anger and indignation she felt just an hour earlier.

For the better part of two years she had studied Buffy's expressions and moods, but now the senior slayer was blank to her. Satsu gestured to the ax. "Is it done?"

"Head's cut off," Buffy said, lowering the weapon. "We'll bury her when we get back."

"Can't risk Aiko rising as a vampire. I forgot about that earlier."

Buffy didn't blink. "Well, it's done now."

"I'm not sorry."

"I know."

Satsu briefly glanced away before meeting Buffy's eyes. "I just want things to go back to how they were before. I want everything to be normal again."

"Believe me when I say that is all I've ever wanted." Buffy started to push past on the way back to the fortress, but Satsu caught her arm.

"That isn't going to happen, is it?"

"I don't know. Let me just deal with one problem at a time okay? I need a second, a minute, of quiet to catch up and right now I don't have much time to spare."

Satsu nodded, but didn't release Buffy's arm. She hesitated for a moment then on impulse pulled the slayer in close. As she had the first time several nights ago, Buffy went willingly into the kiss. Her arms slipped around Satsu's waist as she returned the embrace.

Satsu held the moment for a beat before pulling back just slightly, teasing Buffy and making her follow. She nibbled lightly on the other's bottom lip, encouraging a more eager pursuit. The younger slayer tightened her hold until the curve of Buffy's body against hers made her lightheaded.

For a moment, the world was quiet again.

Satsu parted first. "I have to tell you something." They were still close. She could feel the warmth of Buffy's breath against her cheek. "When this is done, I'm—"

"No," Buffy cut in. "Tell me later. After this crisis but before the next one."

Satsu agreed and reluctantly let her go. "We should—"

"Yeah. We leave in a few minutes."

Buffy turned and without a look back hurried inside the main residence. Satsu watched her go and then glanced up at the dark sky. Through the distant city glow of Tokyo only a handful of stars were visible. She drew a deep breath and released it slowly.

Tickling at the base of her neck was the unsettling feeling that something was about to change. She listened as the clamoring inside the main hall calmed as all the girls focused on Buffy. One last battle to face, Satsu thought. Get past that and maybe things would become normal again.

**End**


End file.
